Improvement in clasps for butter-dishes



'1" VAN sKELLI-NE.

CLASPS FORBUTTER DISHES. No.180,506. Patented-A1191. 1876.

Y WKW 1 Wkflm ATTORNEY MFETERS, FROTO-UTRQGRAPNEB, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE VAN SKELLINE, 0F BROOKLYN, E. 1)., NE YORK.-

lMPROVEMENT INCLASPS FOR BUTTER-DISHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,506, dated August 1, 1876; application filed July 11, 1876-.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE VAN SKEL- LINE, of Brooklyn, E. D., in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Clasps for Butter-Dishes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, that will enalle others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The same letters and figures of reference are used to indicate the corresponding parts.

After describing the invention, its nature and extent will be shown in the claim.

My invention relates particularly to that class of butter-packages in which the bottom, sides, and ends of each package or dish are made of a single piece of wood or other material, and it consists in the construction ot' a clasp for holding the package or dish in shape, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawing, Figure 1 is an end viewof a butter-package embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same; and Fig. 3 is a view-of the clasp alone.

A- represents the bottom, B B the side pieces, and G G the ends, of a butter dish. 15:?-

package made of one piece of wood or other suitable material capable of being folded for transportation. The clasp used for fastening the parts of the dish is struck up of a single piece of sheet metal, in the form shown in Fig. 3. It is formed with two arms, D D, standing at an'angle of about one hundred and thirty-five degrees, or in other words forming an obtuse angle. The inner angle of the two arms is curved as shown ate, while at the outer angle is formed a semicircular lip, D.

When the parts of the package or dish have been bent or raised in proper shape the ends of the arms 1) are bent and passed through holes 0 in those portions of the sides B that are bent and lap over the ends 0, and said bent ends of the arms I) are then clinched on the inside, as shown in Fig. 2. The lip D is then bent over the top edge, as shown, thus holding and uniting the parts together.

When the butter-packages are to be folded the clasps can readily be removed, and put in again when needed.

I am aware that a metallic clasp has been used for the same purpose; but in such clasp as known to me the arms were on a straight line, and the holes in the dish for .thc insertion of the ends of the arms had necessarily to be so close to the edges of the dish that it frequently. happened that the dishes would split or become broken in handling. With my present invention this is obviated, for as the arms D 1) 'form an obtuse angle the ends thereof get at such a distance from the edges of the dish that there is no liability of the dish splitting, and the curve 0 at'the inner angle of clasp renders it more strong and durable.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by.

Letters Patent, is

The clasp herein described, consisting of the arms D D forming an obtuse angle with curve e on the inner side, and projecting lip D dn the outer side, substantially as and forthe purposes herein set forth.

T. VAN SKELLINE. 

